Westernization in Afghanistan

Jul 31, 2009 17:16

Sex, drugs and rock n' roll: It's the young person's menu of choice the world over. Afghanistan, the land of endless war and timeless values, is no exception.

While the older generation bemoans the death of traditional culture, teenagers are happily swapping music videos of titillating singers whose lyrics they may not understand, but whose provocative movements need no translation.

"Shakira has a beautiful body," sighed Nasir, a 10th grader in Herat, the ancient city in western Afghanistan that many would classify as the country's cultural capital. He was watching a clip of the Colombian star on his mobile phone. "She is intoxicating."

In deeply conservative Afghanistan, where a few inches of ankle can set tongues wagging and eyes sparkling, it is understandable why young men admire the scantily clad diva. Nasir and his friends are part of a growing movement in Afghanistan that sees young people rejecting the traditional music of their fathers' generation in favor of something a bit more contemporary.

"I believe the time for listening to old music is over," Nasir said. "Young people are looking for something new and interesting. There is nothing we need in the old stuff."

Not so, says the older generation, for whom the catchy couplets of "Hips Don't Lie" are a poor substitute for love songs made from the 13th-century words of the poet Rumi.

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